Surprise Surprise! Ok, how many of you would have betted on us dishing out a Japanese review. One thing that we do at popcorn reviewss is to dig up new content irrespective of the language, something that might be a hidden gem or something that is best left to be hidden. That is our ideology, to keep serving you content and ignite the cinephile in you. And with the holiday season lined up, we are working overtime. So, I have just finished watching the Japanese Webseries Alice In Borderland. Is it worth your time stay tuned.

Based on a Japanese Manga, Alice in Borderland is the story of certain individuals trapped in a game – only thing is that this game has rules and if you lose then you die. The story is layered, complex and absolutely thrilling. Well similar concepts have been tackled in movies like The Cabin In The Woods and Battle Royale but there are still certain elements here that add that extra element of thrill to it. The screenplay is nearly perfect. It moves at a break neck pace, something that will leave you gasping for breath, particularly in the first 5 episodes. The death games will keep you on the edge of your seat. Things slow down for a while post the 5th episode but still the twists and turns will keep you engaged. It also has an emotional thread to it that just gives this story a purpose. And it culminates into a nail biting finale, nicely setting it up for season 2.

The dialogues are excellent. The BGM could have been slightly better, I found it deafening in certain places. Director Shinsuke Sato has done an excellent job keep the adrenaline levels high throughout, not providing any respite to the audience as the drama moves at a break neck pace.

The performances are excellent. The major standouts are Kento Yamazaki as Arisu who delivers a layered performance. Tao Tsuchiya looks pretty and is absolutely brilliant. Aya Asahina as Kuina is impressive particularly in hand to hand combat scenes.

Standing at 8 episodes of 50 mins each, Alice In Borderland is a hidden gem. Possibly one of the best thrillers on Netflix in 2020, it is binge watch worthy. Fast paced, thrilling with never a dull moment. Available on Netflix and Highly Highly Recommended!